


Homecoming

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Marine Alec, Marine Corps, Marine Luke, Military AU, mentor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 04:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17739224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Returning home after months deployed overseas terrifies Alec far more than anything he faced in the war zone.  What if he is different?  What if he isn’t?Thankfully, he has his team leader, friend, and brother-in-arms there to offer advice and a sounding board for all his concerns.  And Luke Garroway has never let him down before.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday Isaiah! I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than a Luke-centric fic. I hope you all enjoy.

“You going to be okay there, Lightwood?” Luke asked from his seat next to Alec.  Luke had been through enough deployments now, Alec realized, that he knew what to expect.  This was Alec’s first time. Probably not his last, considering the time and effort the Marine Corps put into training him, so he expected that eventually, he would be as calm about this as Staff Sergeant Garroway.  

Alec nodded, pulling his eyes away from the crowd.  “Yeah. It’s just weird. They’ve been living their lives and have no idea what we've been through there.”  Most of their work was highly classified so even if Alec wanted to tell his family, it wasn’t allowed.

“It’s better that way.”  Alec looked curiously at the other man, wondering how it could be better for him to keep secrets from the people who knew him best in the world.  Or at least did before he deployed. “Do you want them to know? To know that will be what they think about the next time we ship out? They were already worried enough this time, weren’t they?  Think of the terror they will feel if they actually have an idea of what we are doing.” Luke shook his head and sighed, looking out the window at all the happy reunions. “No, they will be happier if they don’t know.”

Alec supposed he understood that. Even though both of his parents were Marines, neither served during a time of war and neither were in Force Recon. They probably had a vague idea of what Alec did, but a vague idea was better for them than knowing outright.  “I’ve never lied to them before,” he muttered. “At least, not about anything important.”

“It’s not lying.  It’s protecting. If they ask you point blank what you did, you tell them it is classified and move on.  If that is the answer you give every time, they will get bored and give up, I promise.”

Nodding, Alec hoped Luke was right.  His parents would accept it without question but Izzy and Max might not.  The three of them never had secrets from each other before. This would be new and uncomfortable for them all.  

Six months they’d been gone, thrown into the worst environment he could imagine, fighting for their lives more often than he would like to admit.  But their unit returned whole, not having lost a single member. Not many groups could claim that and Alec was proud of the men he served with. His brothers and his friends.  

Much of their success could be credited to their team leader.  Alec’s respect for Staff Sergeant Luke Garroway knew no bounds and he’d learned so much from him during this tour.  When Alec joined the Marines out of a desire to make his parents proud, he never expected to actually enjoy it. He’d been groomed his whole life to be a Marine, following in the footsteps of both sides of his family.  There was never a question in his mind whether he would enlist or not. When he graduated high school, Alec signed his papers the next week.

While he knew this was something he’d do his whole life, Alec thought it would just be a job, something he did because it was expected of him.  But it turned out that he was good at it, and while his first commander, a Lieutenant Aldertree, was an ass of the highest order, when Alec was tapped to join Force Recon, he was moved to Garroway’s team and truly fell in love with the Corps and the lifestyle.  

Being teamed up with five other guys and sent into the most treacherous of situations turned out to be everything Alec needed.  It tested his endurance, his strength, his fortitude. And he thrived. Grace won under fire, and Alec only hoped that his family would recognize him when he got back.  He expected he had the same emptiness in his eyes that the rest of his team did. What they did for a living was not for the faint-hearted and they all struggled, unsure how to face their regular life after the atrocities they’d seen.  It would take a while of being home before Alec felt like himself once more.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to return to being that quiet, somewhat insecure young man he’d been before they left.  Alec liked who he was on the battlefield; he’d been born to be a Marine. He knew that now. He liked who he was when he was with his team.  Having to turn that off and adapt to a more civilian lifestyle was not something he looked forward to and he didn’t know if he was ready. Alec could only hope he could fake normalcy until it felt natural again.

But whether he was ready or not, this was happening.  He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself before heading back out into the rest of the world.  Too many buses sat in a line and while Alec knew they would get there eventually, nerves were bubbling up inside him.  Only three more buses to unload before it was their turn. He’d miss his team, having been together non-stop for the entire deployment, and he would miss the action, the adrenaline.  But for all his fears, Alec couldn’t wait to see his brother and sister, as well as his parents. He hadn’t spoken to them at all, their team operating in the dark. The only contact was a call to tell them when he’d be home.  Their mission kept them in deep cover and even the people they shipped out with were unaware of most of their movements.

Alec didn’t know what had changed since he was gone and that ratcheted his anxiety even higher.  His knee bounced nervously, looking out the window into the sea of humanity, searching for his family among all the returned Marines and their loved ones.  

“How do you cope?  How do you fit back in?  We’ve been killing and fighting for months now.  When we step off the bus, we won’t even be carrying a weapon anymore.  I don’t... I don’t know who I will be when I go back to my normal life.”  They’d been given a month of leave to spend however they liked before reporting back to Camp Lejune, where they were based.  For Alec, that meant helping out at his sister’s jewelry store. A month that would be quiet, sedate, safe.

Boring.

“You don’t.  At least, not inwardly.  You’re going to be reaching for your sidearm any time someone startles you.  You’re going to duck and cover if a car backfires. It’s not going to be pretty.  But you keep us on speed dial, and when things look bad, you call. Do you hear me?  We will all be going through it and no one will understand better than your brothers.  Jace, Simon, Doc, even Sebastian will be there for you if you need it, just like they always have been.  And you will be there for them. We’re a team whether we are together or not.”

Nodding, Alec realized it really was as simple as that.  They would pretend to be okay for their family and friends, then call one another to break down in private.  Once they got back to base and were together again, then the real healing could begin.

Alec turned back to the window, trying to find his family.  They would all be there, except for his father who was flying in from California to welcome him home later in the week.  “Will your family be here, Wolf?” he asked, lips curling into a smile as he used Luke’s team nickname.

“No, _Angel_ ,” Luke replied, laughing when Alec groaned at his own terrible nickname.  They all had them but most of the team loved theirs. Or at least tolerated it.  Alec, not so much, which made them use it even more. Only Underhill - nicknamed Doc - heard his more.  Alec wasn’t even sure he knew the team medic’s actual first name at this point. “Not much family left. Just my sister and I, and she’s always busy, so aside from an occasional phone call, I’m pretty much on my own.”  Having grown up in a large family, with cousins and other extended relatives on top of all his immediate family, Alec couldn’t imagine a life without someone being around. But Luke seemed content and Alec didn’t question it.  Not like Luke could do anything about his family situation anyway.

“So, what are you going to do until we report back?”  The bus inched a little closer and Alec’s heart began to pound, eyes still scanning the crowd for any sign of his family.  Having dreamed of this moment for so long, having it finally be here was unreal.

Luke seemed to realize Alec was distracted, waiting until Alec turned back to him before answering.  “Figured I would spend some time in New York and then head back early. I haven’t been in the city for ages, so I’ll see the sights before going back to Camp.”

“You should come with me,” Alec said without a second thought.  “Our house is more than big enough and my family would love you.  We could head back together whenever you’re ready.” And if it meant having someone there that understood, that Alec could talk to any time day or night?  That only made it better.

Luke shook his head.  “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family time.  I’ll be fine, Alec. Don’t worry about me.”

The thought of his friend and teammate, his brother in every way but blood, spending those two weeks alone, particularly after Luke told him what it would be like for all of them being back in the civilian world, bothered Alec immensely.  “Come meet my family when we get off the bus. You don’t have to come with us after that if you don’t want, but at least consider it?”

“Alright, Alec.  I’ll consider it.”  Alec knew Luke was only humoring him but he hoped his team leader would change his mind.  It would be good for them both if Luke came with him.

Their bus finally came to a stop and everyone stood, grabbing their bags and shuffling towards the exit.  When the door opened, the sound of the assembled crowd grew even louder. Alec glanced over his shoulder at Luke who patted him on the back and gave an encouraging nod.  That was all he needed and Alec put one foot in front of the other until he stepped out into the hot summer sun. It was different heat from the desert that had been their home for the past six months.  It was a heat that felt familiar. It was home.

Alec picked his way through the crowd, his height an obvious advantage with so many people looking for their loved ones.  It didn’t take long before he spotted his brother Max sitting on his sister’s shoulders. Even like that, they weren’t quite as tall as Alec, something that made him chuckle.  “Come on, Wolf. I’ll introduce you to my family.”

He felt Luke’s comforting presence behind him.  Alec’s relief that there was someone watching his six, even in a crowd of friends and family, was striking. Always watching over your shoulder would keep you alive in the field but would only make you overly paranoid in civilian life.  Alec took a deep breath to calm himself before stepping into his family’s field of vision and waiting for them to see him there.

Everything after that was a blur, his siblings throwing their arms around him with tears and laughter.  Alec finally got to hug his mother when Izzy and Max let go. “Alec,” she breathed, and Alec’s chest finally relaxed as he embraced her.  He and his mother didn’t always see eye to eye over the course of his life but now she was one of his biggest supporters. After his father left, Maryse realized how distant she’d been and made more of an effort for all the kids.  It made all the difference in the world.

“Hi, mom.  I’m home.” It wasn’t until he spoke to his mother, saw her in front of him, that it all felt truly real.

They stood there, arms wrapped tight around one another until Max looked behind Alec and asked, “Who are you?”

Only then did Alec remember Luke was standing behind him.  “Mom, Izzy, Max, this is my team leader, Luke Garroway. Luke, this is my family.  My mother Maryse, my sister Izzy, and my brother Max.” While Alec might not have anyone special in his life - he’d never even dated someone - he recognized the look in his mom’s eyes when she looked at Luke.  And the same look reflected in Luke’s eyes as well. “I invited him to stay with us before we need to return to Lejune. That’s okay with you, right?”

“Mrs. Lightwood, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Luke offered his hand.

“A pleasure,” Maryse responded with a smile as she shook it.  “And it’s actually Lieutenant Colonel Lightwood.”

Luke snapped to a salute, relaxing when she saluted in return.  “Apologies, ma’am. Didn’t realize.”

Alec watched as the two bantered and chuckled.  Inviting Luke home with him sounded like it would be a benefit to him, but while he watched his friend and mother talk, he realized it might be even more beneficial for the two of them.

Good.

Luke was a good man and his mother deserved more happiness in her life.  Alec hauled his sea bag over his shoulder and headed for the car. Max and Izzy buzzed with questions he couldn’t answer beside him and his mother and teammate followed behind, talking like old friends rather than new acquaintances.  

Yes, this was going to be an interesting few weeks, Alec mused to himself, unable to keep the smile off his face.

He was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on [tumblr](http://astudyinfic.tumblr.com), [pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/astudyinfic) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/astudyinfic)


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